The recyclables on "many streets" between 1st and 16th streets were not picked up yesterday, sparking complaints from residents, city spokesman Joe Ryan confirmed today.

At its meeting earlier this month, the city council awarded the contract for picking up recyclables to Galaxy Recycling of Jersey City while giving the contract for picking up solid waste to Roselle Disposal of Livingston. Galaxy had previously held the contract for both services. Council members and city officials hoped that splitting the jobs would make things run more smoothly.

But this morning, the first day the split services went into effect, the city fielded "many" complaints from residents living between 1st and 16th streets saying that recyclables put out yesterday were not picked up, Ryan said. The city spokesman could not say exactly how many complaints were called into city hall.

Ryan said officials at Galaxy told him the problems yesterday were due to the company going through a "transition" period as far as implementing the new contract.

On days when recyclables or garbage are to be picked up, residents should expect them to be picked up between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m., Ryan said. The picking up of bulk items, such as old couches, have now shifted from Galaxy's responsibility to Roselle's, he added.

A supervisor at Galaxy Recycling, who declined to give his name, said today that he wasn't aware of any major problems with recycling pickups in Bayonne. "Business as usual," he said.

"If [the city] sent us the complaints, we resolved them," the supervisor said, noting that he hasn't received any complaints about recycling pickups from either the city or residents. "As soon as we get it, we dispatch trucks right away."

He added that residents can always contact the company at (201) 420-4321 ext. 233.

The supervisor said the solid waste contract was awarded to Roselle fair and square.

"It was time to bid, and we submitted a bid, and we were not the lowest bidder," he said. "We put in our best bid, and we got beaten. There were no other factors that I know of."

Both contracts will run for one year. The Roselle contract is worth $1,196,000. The Galaxy contract is for $616,756.